Under the Influence of Satire Introduction

DeMattio 1 Under the Influence of Satire By: Ashley DeMattio Introduction This thesis compares and contrasts the two plays, Lysistrata by Aristophanes and Mrs. Warren’s Profession by George Bernard Shaw, based on their political agendas through the literary form of satire; they are greatly influenced by the time period in which they lived, and express themselves through the female characters in their plays. Insight and further understanding of each play will be provided, and it will be demonstrated how the authors had a goal of starting specific conversations amongst their audiences. Though these conversations differ, Aristophanes and Shaw demonstrate the ability to politically and intellectually enlighten their audiences through pleasure. Aristophanes was a native of Greece during the first century B.C.E., and witnessed the cruel occurrences of the Peloponnesian War and the challenge to Greece’s political stability. In his play Lysistrata he took the idea of war and molded it into a battle of the sexes. The main idea of the play is that the women of Greece, both Athenians and Spartans, are seeking to end the war, and in order to do so they hold a sex strike. The sex strike is used as a way to intrigue the audience through humor and risqué references; the use of satire is amplified when he uses women as the dominant characters. The women hold the power in the play, and this makes the Athenian audience uneasy. This uneasiness is what Aristophanes wants to accomplish, and he puts the audience in a vulnerable state. Lysistrata is meant to warn the people of Greece; what he is warning against and how he goes about it will be further understood when the play is examined. DeMattio 2 George Bernard Shaw was influenced by the harsh realities of the nineteenth century Industrial Revolution in England. He was able to show the consequences of these realities in the play Mrs. Warren’s Profession. This play represents the evolution of mankind, and it promotes an intellectually strong and focused individual. The two main characters are a mother and daughter; they represent the past and future through their various life experiences. The mother, who appears to be a respectable woman of society, is subject to criticism because of her past and present career as a part owner of various brothels across Europe. Once her daughter is told of this profession, she is appalled. What the daughter ultimately chooses to do about this situation is what Shaw views as the future of society. Shaw incorporates comedy into the play to introduce a new kind of women, and to prove that everyone has a purpose in society. Shaw is ultimately welcoming the future, and challenges the audience to do the same. Further elaboration on the details of the play will be presented, and a clear understanding of the future that Shaw promotes will be examined. Aristophanes and Shaw display their characters as strong and compelling, and allow the audience, whether the audience is watching the play or reading it, to make their own judgments on each character. Aristophanes and Shaw are dependent on the audience to be interactive. These plays allow the audience to think not just while the play is being presented, but to share their thoughts outside of the theatre. If the audience, whether outraged or delighted, communicate their ideas among society there is potential for change. These plays are meant to make the viewer laugh, and also to put them into a state of helplessness. When using satire the author uses the audience’s insecurities to get the overall point across. These two plays allow the audience to be captured by comedy and witty remarks, and with that come ideas that lead to truth. DeMattio 3 In this next section, a background of Aristophanes and George Bernard Shaw will be presented. Because they were so influenced by their surroundings in Athens and London, it is important to have further understanding of their life in order to understand their literature. These authors use their own life experiences and opinions to appeal to their audiences, and a closer look at their personal views will help tie together the meaning behind their plays, Lysistrata and Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Aristophanes Aristophanes was born sometime between 450 and 445 B.C.E. in Athens, Greece. During his upbringing Athens was the leading power in Greece. Aristophanes was born into a wealthy family, and acquired a very good education, focusing his studies on philosophy. In many ways Aristophanes is a man of mystery; there is little known about his life and personal political views. The only way to decode Aristophanes is through his writings. He constantly used his plays to push limits and poke fun at the governing body of Athens. He seemed to thrive on testing influential leaders’ patience through his use of political satire. Aristophanes felt very strongly about Athens, and he truly loved the city; this allowed him to have a personal connection with his audience through his literature. His plays seem to reveal that he favored aristocracy and discouraged democracy. In many ways Aristophanes was not very open to change. The Peloponnesian War was something that he focused on within several of his writings such as, The Knights, The Peace, The Wasps, and Lysistrata. Aristophanes seemed to be very worried about the consequences that the war could bring. His conservative ideas allowed him to see the war as a threat, and he sought to publicly demonstrate his concerns through his plays. DeMattio 4 The Peloponnesian War brought defeat upon the Athenians, and Aristophanes had to hold his tongue when the Spartan government occupied Athens.1 He was very clever about when he could write his controversial plays and when he couldn’t. He continued to show his love for Athens throughout his life and died in his beloved city sometime between 385- 380 B.C.E. Aristophanes was a brilliant mind of the first century B.C.E.; he turned his ideas into art, and used satire to intrigue the audience by presenting a comedic atmosphere. His ideas and technique are still idolized today, and prove to be influential to the understanding of early literature. George Bernard Shaw The playwright George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1856. He himself describes his upbringing as a “devil of a childhood”. He came from a modest home that was broken from the inside. His father, George Carr Shaw, was a clerk by day and alcoholic by night. His mother, Lucinda Elizabeth Gurly Shaw, was a singer, who spent most of her time focusing on music and not her family. Later in Shaw’s life his mother decided to move to London with her voice instructor, George Vandaleur Lee. Shaw stayed behind with his father in Ireland, and with no money to pursue college he went into the workforce. Several years later he moved to London with his mother, and began his career in the arts. As Shaw started to establish himself in London, he also found a new political interest that would change his life. He was introduced to the writings of Karl Marx, who was influential in guiding Shaw socially and politically. Shaw later became a member of the Fabian Society; this was a socialist society that strived for a democratic socialist state within Britain. Shaw proved to 1 Refer to Kagan , Donald. The Peloponnesian War. (United States: Penguin, 2003). DeMattio 5 be a loyal member to the society by voicing his views publicly through writings and social gatherings. Shaw incorporated many of his socialist views into his plays, and allowed his audience to see the potential of the future. Though Shaw was very influential in nineteenth and twentieth century society, he was also criticized by many. G.K. Chesterton criticizes Shaw for defending his arguments with just force, and argues that Shaw forbids men to abide by a strict moral law.2 Chesterton believes that Shaw does not see reality, and in doing so he is comparing humanity to something that is inhuman.3 Shaw used his plays to criticize British society, and thrived off of the differentiation between social classes that took place during the Victorian and Edwardian time periods. A new movement during Shaw’s time was women’s rights. Shaw used women as main characters in several of his plays such as Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Pygmalion, Major Barbara, and Man and Superman. He had socialist interpretation of women, as he viewed them as an equal. He preached that everyone had a role in society. At a National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies meeting he is quoted as saying: “I deny that any social problem will ever be solved unless women have their due share in getting it solved. Let us get this obstacle of the political slavery of women out of the way and then we shall see all set to work on the problems- both sexes together with a will”.4 Women admired Shaw’s initiative towards the cause and he had many offers to speak at rallies and meetings.5 2 Chesterton, G.K. George Bernard Shaw. (New York: Short Run, 2001) 21. 3 Chesterton, George Bernard Shaw, 23. 4 Innes, Christopher D., ed. The Cambridge Companion to George Bernard Shaw. (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1998). 19. DeMattio 6 The women in Shaw’s life were plentiful. Over the course of his life he had many affairs, and in some cases could have been labeled as a home-wrecker. He was pursued by many women- actresses, artists, and intellectuals.6 From women like Eleanor Marx to Ellen Terry, Shaw did not always practice what he preached when it came to the opposite sex; he had many encounters with women that overpowered his teachings on women.

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